Welcome, new folks!

Hi, there. If you've joined the mailing list recently, I want to make sure you get your free Frosthelm book, Traitors Unseen. If you haven't gotten it, you can get it free here (the site will ask you to sign up for this newsletter, which you're already getting) or here from Smashwords. It's also on Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Please, enjoy with my compliments.

An update and current projects

I've spent much of the last couple of weeks mostly working on my other creative gig, publishing puzzle card games. I've sent out over 630 games over the last three weeks to people all over the world, and I'm excited to hear how the new one, Return of Doctor Esker's Notebook, goes over with my puzzle fans and Kickstarter backers. I've sent out all I can now, so I'm ready to make the game available to the public (I wanted to get it to all the Kickstarter backers first). That's a project for the next week, getting it set up on my website and on Amazon. If you're curious about the games, you can learn more here.

My writing has necessarily taken a backseat to this effort, but I'm still working on Kenai, and that will be the major focus now for the rest of April. Kenai is a book about a former space marine with a checkered past who becomes entangled in an interplanetary intrigue while serving as security on a xenoarcheological dig. It's set in the same universe and at around the same time as my other sci fi book, Daros, but it's a separate story about different people. I do like having the worlds overlap, even if the stories aren't connected, and it lets me think harder about how my far-future post-galactic-war human society might work. Look for Kenai in May if everything goes well.

I am sorry that Kenai has been delayed a little, as I know I promised it earlier back around the beginning of the year. What with the card games coming earlier than I expected, and our recent decision to move to a new house soon, things have gotten pretty hectic around here. The move is still looming and will take some time and effort (we'll seal the deal and relocate in June), but the Esker game stuff should settle down now for a bit, at least until I get to work on the promised 4th Esker game later in the year.

Sales and readers of my Inquisitors' Guild three-book box set have remained high after my BookBub promo last month, and I'm thrilled that more people are finding my books. There are a lot of reviews coming into the major sites now, which is great to see.

Some stories to try

I'm part of several author collectives, and we share each other's work to try to help all of us reach more readers. In many cases, the books we share are are free or discounted. Sometimes, they ask that you sign up for a newsletter like this one. Here are some new books I have to share this month:

First, I have Tract by Edita Petrick. This is a suspense novel about a researcher trying to save his family from an unknown danger in a remote wilderness. Only $0.99, from a prolific and successful author.

Next, I have Stinger by Tom Dell'Aringa, a lean 40-page free sci-fi short about a troubled young soldier whose ship comes under attack by aliens. It turns out only he has the only possible key to fighting them back. Well reviewed, and a great way to try out Tom's writing.

Next, I have Wedding of the Torn Rose by Brian Mendonça. This is an epic fantasy with magic, kings, courts, intrigue, monsters, and other great stuff. You can get it for free from the link here.

Finally, I have the awesomely-titled The War That Came to Houston by Leigh Kimmel, a supernatural thriller about a not-from-this-world terrorist attack on Johnson Space Center and the brave humans who try to stop it.

Thanks

Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for upcoming books! I love hearing from people. If you've read one of my books and wouldn't mind leaving a review anywhere (e.g. Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, LibraryThing) I'd really appreciate it! Each review helps me reach more readers. 

I hope you and your friends and family are having a safe and rewarding 2023!

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave